A developer will enhance its sediment control measures and pay to conserve more than 60 acres of land in southeast Durham as part of a settlement with an environmental watchdog organization.
In September 2023, Sound Rivers sued Mungo Homes alleging that its construction of the 216-acre Sweetbrier development in southeast Durham was causing sediment pollution in Lick Creek. The Sweetbrier development borders a pair of tributaries to the creek, which had turned an orange color that some residents likened to tomato soup as it wound its way to Falls Lake.
Sound Rivers pointed to water samples taken by Neuse Riverkeeper Samantha Krop, alleging that the rusty color was being caused by sediment pollution running off of large-scale developments…